NEWS RELEASE

United States Department of Agriculture

NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS SERVICE
In Cooperation with the West Virginia Department of Agriculture
West Virginia Field Office
1900 Kanawha Blvd E
Charleston, West Virginia 25305
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Charmaine Wilson
August 24, 2018 (304) 357-5126
JULY RED MEAT PRODUCTION

Charleston, West Virginia – Commercial red meat production during July 2018 totaled 600,000 pounds.
This was up 11 percent from July 2017. Commercial red meat production is the carcass weight after slaughter
including beef, veal, pork, lamb and mutton. Individual commodity production is total live weight of commercial
slaughter.

Commercial cattle slaughter totaled 586,000 pounds live weight, up 7 percent from July 2017. Cattle slaughter
totaled 500 head, unchanged from the previous year. The average live weight was up 5 pounds from the
previous year, at 1,206 pounds.

Commercial calf slaughter was not published to avoid disclosing individual operations.

Commercial hog slaughter totaled 228,000 pounds live weight, up 10 percent from last year. Hog slaughter
totaled 800 head, unchanged from the previous year. The average live weight was up 14 pounds from the
previous year, at 282 pounds.

Commercial sheep and lamb slaughter was not published to avoid disclosing individual operations.

United States – Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 4.24 billion pounds in July, up
6 percent from the 3.99 billion pounds produced in July 2017.

Beef production, at 2.23 billion pounds, was 6 percent above the previous year. Cattle slaughter totaled 2.77
million head, up 6 percent from July 2017. The average live weight was down 3 pounds from the previous year,
at 1,330 pounds.

Veal production totaled 6.1 million pounds, 8 percent above July a year ago. Calf slaughter totaled 47,800
head, up 22 percent from July 2017. The average live weight was down 27 pounds from last year, at 223
pounds.

Pork production totaled 1.99 billion pounds, up 6 percent from the previous year. Hog slaughter totaled 9.60
million head, up 6 percent from July 2017. The average live weight was unchanged from the previous year, at
277 pounds.

Lamb and mutton production, at 12.1 million pounds, was up 10 percent from July 2017. Sheep slaughter
totaled 178,900 head, 7 percent above last year. The average live weight was 135 pounds, up 3 pounds from
July a year ago.

January to July 2018 commercial red meat production was 30.5 billion pounds, up 4 percent from 2017.
Accumulated beef production was up 4 percent from last year, veal was up 1 percent, pork was up 4 percent
from last year, and lamb and mutton production was up 6 percent.

July 2017 contained 21 weekdays (including 1 holiday) and 5 Saturdays.

July 2018 contained 22 weekdays (including 1 holiday) and 4 Saturdays.

Note: Percent changes are based on unrounded data.

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